Healthy Soups

I am presenting my first cooking segment on Twin Cities Live tomorrow, Wednesday October 12th. I'm going to make two of the soups I've blogged about before: Roasted Tomato Basil Soup and Spicy Tuscan Soup. 

People often think of soup and picture cream based options. While these may taste good they are high in fat and calories. I'm going to show broth based soups that are healthy but still flavorful.

Tips to Make Healthy Soup:

-Use water or low sodium broths as your base

-Try adding a small amount of skim milk or 1% milk to soup to add creaminess without much fat

-Start with onions, garlic, carrots and/or celery to get lots of flavor without calories

-Think fresh herbs and spices for added taste instead of loads of salt

-Choose lean meats. Try making chicken chili or choose a lean ground beef or ground turkey breast (make sure it says turkey breast otherwise the turkey may contain some of the skin and not all breast meat)

-Load up on vegetables: zucchini, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, corn, peppers, kale and beans are great additives to soup

-When adding beans, look for low sodium varieties. If these aren't available drain your beans in a strainer and run cold water over them for a minute to wash off some of the sodium

HEALTHY SOUP RECIPES FROM TWIN CITIES LIVE SEGMENT 10/12/2011

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup Source: Barefoot Contessa

-To make this recipe healthier I use olive oil to sautee the onions instead of butter and I use a low sodium chicken broth (I've also made it with vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)

-Don't have a food mill, don't worry. I used a food processor to blend the tomatoes and basil in the end. An immersion blender would also work. 

  

Spicy Tuscan Soup Adapted from Zuppa Toscana, Olive Garden

Ingredients:

- 2 medium russet potatoes (or 3 small ones)

- ½ small white onion, chopped

- 1 pound of Spicy Italian Sauage (in bulk, not with casein) or for you can substitute ground turkey breast and add extra crushed red pepper or for a Vegetarian soup use meatless crumbles instead of sausage

- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced

- 5 ½ cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

- ½ cup milk (I used skim but use whatever you have in your house)

-4 cups chopped Kale (ripped off the vein)

- 1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

- ½ tsp salt

- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Poke holes in the baked potatoes and microwave them for 6-8 minutes (until tender). Set aside to cool.

2. Heat dutch oven to medium high and add onion and sausage to the pan. Cook 5 minutes then add garlic and continue to cook until meat is brown

3. While the meat is cooking rinse and chop the Kale and peel and dice the potatoes

4. Add broth and milk to the onions and meat once the meat is brown

5. Add kale, garbanzo beans, salt and crushed red pepper flakes

6. Simmer for 30 minutes and serve.

Stuffed French Toast with Berries

Brunch for one please!

My friend Brent and I had planned to make a decadent brunch this morning but sadly he came down with an awful cold. I considered just pouring myself a bowl of cereal but being a breakfast and brunch lover I still made the stuffed french toast that we had picked out earlier in the week as I was craving a big breakfast.

I was excited when I went to Target and saw they had Wheat French Bread. Yes, wheat, not whole wheat but the fiber content was better than the white so I felt better about eating a large portion. I also picked up a container of raspberry to top the french toast vs making the strawberry sauce that the recipe suggested. Less work and just as good. While cooking for one can sometimes be no fun I found my morning kitchen session perfect. No one home, windows open enjoying the perfect fall weather, past Cities 97 samplers shuffling on my Ipod and a new pumpkin candle burning in the dining room...pure bliss.  

THE INGREDIENTS

Preparation: French bread with the cream cheese filling ready to be dipped in the egg mixture

Mmmmm....cooking...

The finished product: Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast with Raspberries and Light Syrup

Sina's Rating: 5 out of 5

I would definitely make this again for a few reasons. I liked using a french bread as the base (although I picked out a non crusty one) and I also found the milk, vanilla extract and egg mixture easily absorbable for the bread compared to a heavier egg mixture. Since I love cinnamon I added some to the milk mixture before I dipped the bread which gave it a great flavor and the fresh berries on top were perfect. Very easy, delicious and a healthier french toast breakfast. 

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light June 2005: Cheese Stuffed French Toast

Sina's recipe adjustments (in blue):

Ingredients

• 12 (1-ounce) diagonally cut slices French bread
• 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 (8-ounce) tub reduced-fat cream cheese
• 2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Preparation

  • Cut a horizontal slit through bottom crust of each slice of bread to form a pocket (I cut the bread in thin slices). Combine powdered sugar and cream cheese; stir well. Spread mixture evenly into pockets of bread (I put cream cheese between two of the thin slices).
  • Combine milk, sugar, vanilla extract, egg whites, and eggs in a bowl; beat well with a wire whisk. Pour milk mixture evenly over bread slices. Cover and chill 1 hour or until liquid is absorbed (As I was hungry, I fully immersed the bread in the milk mixture for a few seconds then cooked immediately after that vs waiting an hour)
  • Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium heat until hot. Arrange half of bread slices in skillet, and cook 3 minutes. Turn bread over, and cook 3 minutes or until browned; remove from skillet. Repeat procedure with the remaining bread slices.
  • I served mine with fresh raspberries and light maple syrup

YumPower

My hospitals organization, HealthPartners, has launched a new healthy campaign called YumPower. I am excited to be a part of an organization that promotes healthy living to their employees but also provides employees and community members with the tools they needs to practice living healthy on a daily basis. For those of you not from Minnesota or who haven't heard of YumPower it's a website with tools to help people eat better and teach people to look at food in a fresh new way. You can sign up to a get a weekly healthy eating text or check out their site this fall for cooking videos, a phone app, recipes and healthy tips for eating healthy in or out.

To help promote the new campaign they are hosting a cooking contest. The criteria state they are looking for a recipe that contains at least two fruits and/or vegetables, are creative and delicious, are quick and easy to make and if possible only use whole grains, lean meat and healthy fats (aka no trans fat please).

I can already think of some of my favorite dishes that would work for the contest and I encourage you to submit some of your healthy recipes. Often times we don't give ourselves credit for the baked chicken we whipped up with whole grains even though it's tasty enough to fit in a cook book. The best part is, celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern will be judging the top five finalists recipes in a cook-off.

I'd love to hear the recipes you submit. Share them on my blog or email me separately! Good luck

Link to YumPower's recipe contest

YumPower Website

Food of the Month

I can't believe it's already October. While the leaves have started to change the weather here in Minnesota has been unseasonably warm with expected highs in the upper 70's/low 80's all week. It was a perfect weekend for me from weather to Wisconsin sports (if you  missed it the Badgers, Brewers and Packers all won) to a belly full of delicious, crunchy, sweet apples!

It's apple season and I am so happy about it. I'm not a person that eats apples year round but when it comes to the fall I eat enough to last me the rest of the year. Lately, I've been on a two a day average switching off between Honeycrisp and Haralson's, both grown in Minnesota. If you couldn't tell, apples are this month's food of the month.

Apples contain ~ 90 calories, a little over 3 grams of fiber and surprisingly they are ~85% water. They are very nutritious for us containing many nutrients including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, pectins and fiber. A new variety available this year is called the SweeTango which was developed by the University of Minnesota. It is said to have the texture of a honeycrisp and the flavor of a Zestar. I can't wait to try it or hear your reviews if you took a bite out of one already.

If you want to eat more fruit or are craving something sweet and fresh grab an apple and start crunching away.
Want more information on Minnesota apple varieties flavor and use? Check out UMN extensions link below

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/dg1111.html 

Crop Share Box #8

What this Box Contained

Cucumbers, Italian Garlic, Summer Squash, Sweet Spanish Onions, Sweet Corn, Watermelon, Melons, Arugula, Edamame, Tomatoes, Red Grape Tomatoes, Orange or Red Ukraine Peppers, Roaster Peppers, Corn, Eggplant, Basil, Potatoes

Pictured Above

From Front Left to Right: Red Grape Tomatoes, Eggplant, Roaster Peppers, Potatoes, Basil

From Back Left to Right:  Edamame, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Arugula, Summer Squash, Orange Ukraine Pepper, Cantaloupe, Corn

New Recipes & Meals I Made

Crop Share Chopped Salad (side)
Rating: Sina: 4
Chopped Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, corn off the cob, chick peas, cucumbers and homemade mustard vinaigrette

Omelets for dinner

Swiss cheese, tomato, pepper, spinach and zucchini omelettes with a side of tomatoes with basil and cooked zucchini.

Jicama Cole Slaw and Fish Tacos (see bottom of post for recipe):
These are my favorite fish tacos. I got the idea of making a jicama cole slaw for the top of fish tacos from a restaurant in town called Chino Latinos. The roasted red pepper sauce is also a great touch. You can also add shredded lettuce or cheese to the tacos but we ate them with just the fish, jicama slaw and sauce. I'm disappointed at how they look in this picture because they taste much better than that! Also, I added cherry tomatoes to the slaw this time since I wanted to use them up.
Ratings: Sina: 4, Ryan: 4

Breakfast sandwiches with arugula, tomato, pecorino cheese and an egg on an English muffin. 

Potato and Swiss Chard Gratin

The original recipe is from Smitten kitchen and posted on my holiday blog from last year when we made it the correct way (with sweet potatoes). Since I had swiss chard in the garden and extra garlic and scallions I figured I'd make it with my crop share potatoes from the last box and this box

Ratings: Sina: 4 (delicious but not as good as when you make it with sweet potatoes)

Sina’s Fish Tacos (combining three recipes for the fish, sauce and slaw)

Baja Fish Tacos (Recipe from Baja Fish Tacos on myrecipes.com):

3-4 tbsp taco seasoning

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp orange juice

2 pounds tilapia or mahi-mahi

Flour or corn tortillas

Avocado slices

1 lime: wedged

Directions:

1. Combine first 2 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add fish; toss to coat.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish; sautee 5 minutes or until fish is done

3. Warm tortillas according to package directions.

I then Served the fish tacos with the jicama slaw, avocados, sauce and have people add what they like.

Roasted Red Pepper and Cucumber Yogurt Sauce:

(Recipe from Mediterranean fish tacos courtesy Rachel ray, 2008)

2 roasted red peppers, patted dry

1 cup fat free yogurt

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ cucumber, peeled and grated

Directions: Combine red peppers and yogurt in food processor. Add cumin, 1 clove garlic, zest and juice of ½ lemon, cucumber and process until smooth, transfer to a bowl.

Add to the top of the fish tacos

Jicama Cole Slaw (Recipe from Jicama Slaw courtesy Emeril Lagasse):

1 cup fat free yogurt

3 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

3 cups shredded or julienned jicama

½ bunch green onions, sliced thinly on the bias

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Directions: (great side with the fish tacos or you can put it on your tacos)

1. Combine the yogurt, lime juice, cider vinegar, sugar, cilantro, cumin, salt and peppers and whisk to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop

2. When ready to serve, combine the jicama, green onions, and red bell peppers in a large bowl and add the dressing. Toss gently but thoroughly to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately 

Seattle/Vancouver

I have to report back on the amazing food we ate in Seattle and Vancouver. While I don't have pictures of every meal I can tell you it was a lot of fish, Mediterranean (delicious hummus and pitas for a few meals), home cooking, southern food and BBQ. Here is a mini recap of a few of our meals.

Sushi

How can you go to the Pacific north west and not get sushi. They have such a fresh supply of fish and tons of sushi restaurants offering fun specialty rolls. My brother and sister in law brought us to their favorite restaurant, Umi Sake House. I forgot to take a picture of all of our rolls since I was too excited to eat but here is a picture of two pieces at the end. A specialty one with jalapenos, salmon and blueberries and a spicy tuna with ginger on top.

Home Cooking with Sara
On the menu: Homemade cabbage cole slaw, corn on the cob and snapper cooked with soy vay sauce, mushrooms and bok choi.

Southern Food
Last but not least our southern meal at Kingfish Cafe . My brother brought my parents and I there 4 or 5 years ago when we came out to visit and it's been a place I still talk about to Ryan. The last time we went we had homemade sweet potato pudding for dessert that has made me think of going back ever since. You will be happy to know that even dietitians splurge sometimes. Take note at what I ordered...yes...fried chicken. If you're ever at a good Southern style restaurant they can make the chicken moist and not too greasy, which is  worth the occasionally extra fat.  It also came with delicious collard greens and potato salad.

Ryan's Entree: Slow Pokin' Sisters BBQ Beef Ribs
Sina's Entree: My Way or the Highway Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Food of the Month

I just returned from an eight day trip in the Pacific north west and Canada and while part of September is over it's still not to late to enjoy this months food. Peppers! They come in many shapes, sizes, colors and spice levels.

The Scoville Heat Scale is a great way to see what level of pepper is best for you. 

To start the celebration of the food of the month I made Un-Stuffed Peppers. You may be asking why I made the recipe "unstuffed." It came down to the size of my peppers. I was planning to make stuffed peppers for dinner but all the peppers I wanted to stuff were too small to fit much filling so instead I mixed all the things you would put in a stuffed pepper together in a dish and baked it. I am eating this dish as I type my blog post and OMG it's AMAZING! Every year when I make stuffed peppers I just use up what I have in my fridge and that is what this recipe was but the flavors came together perfect. The pepper mix was perfect since my husband and I like a small kick in our dishes.  This is a great dish that we will definitely have again!

"UN-Stuffed" Peppers

Ingredients: 

-2 cups brown rice (cook according to instructions. I did 2 cups of brown rice with 4 cups chicken stock)
-You could use any combination of peppers. Here is what I used: 7 small Bell Peppers, 1 Banana Pepper, 1 Jalapeno (without seeds), 1 unknown hot pepper from crop share (the dark green one), diced
-2 shallots, diced
-1/4 cup cilantro, diced
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tbsp Italian Parsley, chopped
-3 chicken sausages, cut into slices (you could also sub boca crumbles here for a vegetarian dish)
-1 small zucchini (or in my case it was 1/3 of a large one)
-2 ears of corn, cook and add only the kernels
-2 ounce of cheese (any type of shredded or diced cheese will work)
Directions:
Cook rice according to directions. Stir all ingredients in a big bowl with the cooked rice and mix. Grease a 9 x 11 pan and pile ingredients in.
Bake at 400 for ~35-40 minutes

"Unstuffed" Pepper dish pre-baking

The beauty of this dish is it's flexibility. Don't have one of the ingredients or want to add another vegetable, go for it.

...just went and got seconds...time to go.